-- They are 179-7 since 2000 and have won 73 consecutive regular-season games.

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For Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate Antonio Tate and the remainder of Mount Union's senior class, though, there is one number they can't shed.

Zero, as in national titles won.

Mount has lost in the Stagg Bowl -- the D-III championship game -- in each of the last three seasons.

In fact, all four of Mount Union's losses since 2005 have occurred in the national title game -- all to Wisconsin-Whitewater, which is 4-2 against Mount in Stagg Bowls in that span.

"It's everything right now," Tate said of winning Mount's first national title since 2008. "We've accomplished everything but that. So this is our main focus."

If the No. 1 Purple Raiders are to win their 11th crown, it won't be at Whitewater's expense.

The Warhawks finished 7-3 in 2012 and didn't earn a bid to the Division III playoffs, negating any chance of a seventh consecutive meeting with Mount in the Stagg Bowl.

"Right now, we're not thinking about it too much," Tate said of Whitewater. "We're focusing on ourselves right now. When we first heard about it, it was kind of strange. But now we're just worrying about us."

Thus far, there haven't been many concerns.

Tate -- a 6-foot-4, 260-pound left tackle who will graduate this spring with a degree in exercise science -- has been a stalwart up front for an offense that is averaging 53.7 points and 550.2 total yards per game.

Mount (12-0) will play host to No. 9 Widener (11-0) on Saturday at noon in a D-III quarterfinal.

The Purple Raiders have outscored their first two playoff opponents, 127-27, and their defense has been just as impressive as their high-powered offense. Mount is allowing only 6.0 points and 164.8 total yards per game, and has forced 30 turnovers and racked up 35 sacks.

"We have a lot of team chemistry right now," Tate said. "We're really having fun. There's not too much stress, and it's showing."

Tate said he missed the last two regular-season games and Mount's first playoff win because of a high ankle sprain and bruised tibia. He returned to play last week against Johns Hopkins and said he "feels good."

The time off didn't prevent him from earning the Ohio Athletic Conference's Ken Wable Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award for the second consecutive season.

"It was very cool to get that again," Tate said.

But it's evident there is something he desires even more.

"It's all we want," Tate said of a national championship that would be his first.

For a change, the Purple Raiders won't have to go through UW-Whitewater to get it.

Honor roll

-- Mentor graduate Justin Fritts -- the 2012 Ohio Mr. Basketball -- had 31 points in his second career game for Division II Wheeling Jesuit. Fritts was 12-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from 3-point range in a 92-66 win over Tiffin. In three games, he is averaging 19.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals. He is shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point land.

-- Notre Dame College senior midfielder Erik Beattie was a first-team all-Midwest Region selection after finishing second on the Falcons (15-6) in goals (11) and points (25). NDC lost to Midwest top seed Rockhurst (Mo.), 3-2, in the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament.

-- Junior forward Admir Suljevic (Wickliffe) led the Cleveland State men's soccer team in goals (five), assists (four) and points (14), helping the Vikings (11-6-3) to the Horizon League tournament title. CSU lost, 2-1, to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

-- Kristen Baker (Mentor) was second on the Eastern Michigan volleyball team in kills (290) and blocks (84) as a senior. She added 57 digs.